Question Is There Such A Thing As Good And Evil? Response Our lives are ultimately spent trying to be good, but what is good and is there really such a thing? The terms good and evil were brought about by mankind itself, so why did we even start judging what is good and what is evil, and how was that determined? Debates about whether we are born good, evil, or a blank slate will never end. Good and evil do not exist, they are only terms mankind brought about and defined. Good is defined as: possessing or displaying moral virtue. Evil is defines as: profoundly immoral and malevolent. Mencius is the most important figure in the development of Confucianism (94); he believed that man’s nature is good, but that some people fail to realize their inborn capacities (96). He says, “Human nature is inherently good, just like water flows inherently downhill. There’s no such thing as a person who isn’t good, just as there’s no water that doesn’t flow downhill” (95). He also says, “Humanity, Duty, Ritual, wisdom- these are not external things we meld into us. They’re part of us from the beginning, though we mat not realize it” (96). Hzün Tzu was a philosopher who was also Confucian, but he did not agree with Mencius. His philosophy had a gigantic effect on the Chinese philosophy of Legalism. Tzu Believed that man’s nature is evil, and that with strict discipline, we can become good despite our natural inclinations (100). He says, "A warped piece of wood must wait until it has been laid against the straightening board, steamed, and forced into shape before it can become straight; a piece of blunt metal must wait until it has been whetted on a grindstone before it can become sharp. Similarly, since man’s nature is evil, it must wait for the instructions of a teacher before it can become upright, and for the guidance of ritual principles before it can become orderly. (101) He also states, “Every man who desires to do good